Shaping Your Success July 2023

VWA's July 2023 Recruitment Guide

Wow! Hands up who feels like 2023 is flying by? Welcome to the July edition of our monthly newsletter.

This month we’ve shared our guide to perfecting your interview technique using the STAR method, plus we meet another one of our superstar Consultants, Elena. As we enter the second half of the year, we’ve also taken time to reflect on all things recruitment and will be sharing some insights into the market. Finally, check out a selection of our latest live jobs and hear from a recent candidate about their experience of working with VWA.

Grab a cuppa and read on!

Finding interview success with the STAR technique

You’ve made that big decision to find a new job. You’ve hunted through job ads, given over your Sunday evening to tailoring your CV (always!) and written an awesome covering letter. You submit them and breathe a sigh of relief. Then you wait…

Yes! They would like to see you for an interview! For the briefest of moments you celebrate and then the cold dread sets in at the thought of the interview itself…

Admittedly some find interviewing easier than others, but for many of us, the process can be daunting, giving us bouts of anxiety and a few sleepless nights ahead of the big day (which doesn’t help!).

It sounds so obvious but the more you prepare the more you’ll be prepared! The job description is key here as it gives you lots of clues as to the kind of experience and competencies the recruiter will be looking for and enables you to prepare answers for the potential questions that may arise.

So how do you structure your responses and how do you remember all the details you want to share with them on the day? Interviews are conducted in many forms from the free flowing conversational style, to the more formal competency based questions.

In this article we talk you through the STAR technique. A well-known method to help you structure your answers to competency based questions in a clear and concise way. Click the image below to read on...

Meet your VWA Consultants!

Get to know our experienced and dedicated team of consultants better with our Meet the Team series. Each month, we will be sharing a little Q&A with a member of the team so you can see, we really are a friendly bunch! This month, let’s find out more about Elena!

Mid-Year Market Summary for Permanent Candidates

Are you currently employed and seeking a new challenge or are you immediately available looking to secure that next role? If so, here are some trends and challenges VWA Ltd have seen so far in 2023 for candidates to consider:

Hybrid working. While hybrid working offers a work life balance for many, this year VWA has seen some firms shifting from 3-2 to 4-1 hybrid working model and in some cases, a handful of firms moving back to 5 days in the office. The more flexible and open candidates are to being 4-1 or 5 days in the office, the more opportunities will inevitably open up.

It’s not just about the base salary. While base salary is a key factor, we would encourage looking at the overall package. Consider the benefits offered closely such as pension schemes, private healthcare, gym memberships or other wellness subsidies for example. Also of course the role, content and responsibilities, and how these will enable you to continue the career path you are on.

Lead times on processes. The Easter period and Bank Holiday across April and May saw lengthier processes, with various stages of interview lasting over a period of up to 3-4 weeks.??With the summer here, some lead times will take a similar pattern, however continue to communicate with your Recruitment Consultant and keep them updated of any other independent processes you are in. They will keep the client informed and where possible, will do their best this to speed up a process for you.

If you are available immediately, keep an open mind to temporary work. It will give you an insight into different environments and types of roles, while maintaining and growing your skills set. Over the years, VWA has placed a number of candidates who have initially gone in to cover on a temporary basis, have impressed, and gone on to secure permanent positions!

Have your needs changes throughout your search journey? Ensure you communicate with your Recruitment Consultant if any of your search criteria has changed – be it on the salary front, hybrid working, location or type of role you are looking for, so that they are updated and in the best position to seek out the right opportunities for you. ?

If you have any questions or indeed have seen any other trends, we’d love to hear your thoughts - email: [email protected]

What our candidates are saying…

Latest vacancies

Check out some of our latest vacancies below:

To find out more about these and our many other exciting and varied roles currently live, please click on the image or visit our website:

https://www.vwa.com/jobs

?You can also send us your applications, or reach out to the team at?[email protected]?- we look forward to hearing from you!